Issue 4, Spring 2015 - The Quadrangle

THE Volume 91, Issue 4

Q

UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924

Feb. 10, 2015

www.mcquad.org

Racial Justice Teach-In

Natalie Sullivan Senior Staff Writer

In the wake of the ongoing debate about racism in the American justice system, a racial justice teach-in was held in Smith Auditorium last Wednesday featuring panels discussing the many facets of racism.

The panels were made up of faculty, students, alumni and local community organizers speaking on topics such as the psychology of racial identification and the experience of race and racism.

“Over the last year or two as news of the many prominent cases of young, unarmed African American men, like many people, I’ve been very upset about it,” David Witzling, associate professor of English and organizer of the teach-in, said.

These prominent cases include those in Ferguson, M.O. and New York City over

the deaths of black men by police force which have stirred up a national conversation on racism and policing. Michael Brown was an unarmed black teenager killed in a police shooting in Ferguson on Aug. 9 of last year, which sparked widespread protests throughout the state and the nation. A grand jury chose not to indict his shooter, however two federal civil rights investigations were launched into Ferguson police force. Similarly, Eric Garner died after a police chokehold on Staten Island on July 17 of last year. The police officer involved in the incident was not indicted by a grand jury.

“I was very quick to think that students and faculty on campus ought to do something to discuss what seems to be a pattern happening with American society,” Witzling said.

Jawanza Clark, an assistant professor of religious studies, led a portion of the teach-in on Martin Luther King Jr. and the politics of respectability. During his talk,

Clark described the trend among African Americans and other minorities to feel as if they have to act a certain way to have a place in society.

Clark relates the theme to a famous Bill Cosby routine in which he encourages young black men to “pull up their pants.” “[Cosby] used to represent sort of a black politics of respectability position, which is that if you just go to school, speak English, pull up your pants and present yourself as ‘respectable,’ then you won’t be treated in these ways,” Clark said. “[Cosby] sort of embodies that idea. I think sometimes white students get confused when they hear black people articulating those ideas. It’s a problem that black people internalize these racist assumptions.”

During another portion of the lecture, Witzling offered introductory remarks and a lecture. Witzling and others discussed some statistics on racism in the American justice system and the factors which may

Christian Roodal/The Quadrangle contribute to these trends.

“I’ve been long interested as a teacher and a scholar in the history of race relations in this country and in getting students to think about how racial identities are formed and the persistence of racism in our society,” Witzling said.

Students and staff alike were impressed by the presentations at the teach-in, and many felt that the forum was constructive and hoped for similar conversations in the future.

“I thought it to be very important because [this type of conversation] truly does mobilize social change,” Bridget Avila, a senior communication student, said. “It also shows a huge diffusion of our campus of our campus groups and individual students creating unity and leadership in order to make a change.”

Avila said, “There was a lot to discuss Continued on page 3

Clubs on Campus Struggle to Find Approval for Fundraising Ideas Anthony Capote Assistant Editor

The Sigma Delta Tau sorority is one of the newest Greek life options on campus and, as a result, still struggles with the dif� ficulties of being a new club.

Some of those struggles include find� ing effective ways to fundraise on campus and to get those ideas approved by the Of� fice of Student Activities.

“We do a lot of philanthropy work, we fundraise for Prevent Child Abuse America and women’s empowerment groups,” SDT secretary Julie Teller said.

According to Teller, SDT only received an $800 budget from Student Activities for the year.

In her freshman and sophomore year, Teller said that clubs used to be able to hold bake sales but are no longer allowed to do so by Student Activities.

Last November, The Quadrangle re�

ported on fundraising policies at MC and found that the reason for this policy is be� cause of the legal ramifications of spoiled or undercooked foods being sold on cam� pus.

“There’s a public safety issue of food on campus, where—������������������� God forbid��������� —if some� one gets a food sickness, allergy or some� thing isn’t cooked correctly, it can create a lot of liability issues,” Student Activities Director John Bennett said.

Of course, SDT doesn���������������� ’��������������� t only have is� sues when it comes to selling food.

Club fundraising is no easy work. It re� quires tedious planning and paperwork and often a budget that, for some clubs, is less than they had hoped for.

Policies surrounding fundraised money also require clubs to give some of the pro� ceeds back to Student Activities.

“For example, if a club raises $700, they can donate 50 percent of that money to a charity, but if they make $2000, they can donate $500,” Bennett said.

According to Bennett, the money given back to Student Activities is factored into the club’s budget.

However, for philanthropy clubs like SDT, the money wasn’t meant to be kept for their own budget, which still does not exceed $1,000. Instead, fundraised money is intended for the charities that the soror� ity has partnered with.

The most difficult part, according to SDT members, of fundraising under these circumstances is feeling like they have to earn the trust of the group’s facilitators, Student Activities.

“I think it����������������������������� ’���������������������������� s harder because we are new� er and they don’t really know us as well as they now the other Greek organizations on campus,” Emily Garvilla, president of SDT, said, who noted the club’s difficulty being granted access to rooms in the Stu� dent Commons for recruitment time next week.

The concept of new clubs needing to “earn the trust” of Student Activities is not

unheard of. The American Society of Civil Engineers, which has a student chapter at MC, has expressed a similar view.

“You have to prove that you are go� ing to use the entire budget every year, and it will probably get approved,” Anderson Garcia, who is the treasurer of ASCE, said.

ASCE, which does not conduct fund� raisers because they consider themselves a professional group and see no need, has seen in an increase in their club budget for three consecutive years. That budget, ac� cording to Garcia, is over $1,000.

Student Activities remains adamant that no one club is more important than an� other and those that receive more money are given that based on expenses.

“It���������������������������������� ’��������������������������������� s not that we don���������������� ’��������������� t want to fund� raise, it’s just hard to come up with ideas with the parameters that they give us,” Teller said, “every other sorority in the world can sell ice cream but we can’t.”

2

The

Opinions & editorials

Quadrangle www.mcquad.org

The Editor

Letter to

Vol. 91 Issue 4 Feb. 10, 2015

Sean Sonnemann Editor-in-Chief Michelle DePinho Managing Editor/News Editor Anthony Capote Asst. News Editor Kieran Rock Managing Editor/Features Editor Ally Hutzler Asst. Features Editor Lauren Carr Arts & Entertainment Editor

Feb. 10, 2015

One aspect of Manhattan that drew my attention during my college search was the weekly "Movies on the Quad." I was not at all disappointed by "Cinema in the Commons;" essentially the same event held in the new student Commons. With still-in-theaters movies and free snacks, it was pretty awesome. In recent months, I haven't heard anything about the movie nights- what ever happened to them? Are they going to be around this semester?

Ryan McPartlan

Lindsey Burns Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor Jonathan Reyes Sports Editor Jaclyn Marr Asst. Sports Editor Daniel Ynfante Asst. Sports Editor Sean McIntyre Social Media Editor Victoria Hernรกndez Kristie Killen Asst. Social Media Editors Kevin Fuhrmann Photography Editor Christian Roodal Asst. Photography Editor Kelly Burns Luke Hartman Natalie Heinitz Production Editors Sam Martin/The Quadrangle

Daniel Molina Distribution Manager Tom Callahan Faculty Adviser A tradition since 1924, The Quadrangle is a news organization run by the students of Manhattan College. We strive to cover news around campus and the greater community, publishing weekly in print and daily online. Our goal is always accuracy, relevancy and professionalism.

The staff of The Quadrangle meets every Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. in room 412 of the Student Commons.

Contact The Quadrangle at thequad@manhattan.edu The opinions expressed in The Quadrangle are those of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board, the College or the student body.

. . . t u o s u k c che 0 .

2 d a u Q mcquad.org

news

Behind the Spring Career Fair

3

Victoria Hernández Assistant Editor

Students at Manhattan College look forward to the spring career fair as a way to meet companies, look for internships and jobs and network with professionals.

In the weeks prior, the Center for Career Development works to attract and recruit companies to make the career fair possible.

“Our job is to be strategic and look at a variety of different industries and see who are the big players and determine who would be a good fit for our students in the majors of our school and [then] go after them,” Rachel Cirelli, director of the Center for Career Development at the college, said.

For the Center of Career Development, getting companies to attend the career fair is a non-stop job.

Cirelli called the process “a mixture of managing [our] current relationships and constantly researching new ones.”

Cirelli said that while the college has companies that are very reliable and invest International and Robert Derector Associin the college community, the center is try- ates. ing to bring in companies that can meet the The college����������������������������� ’���������������������������� s ability to attract and recollege’s needs. tain company interest is tied to its alumni “It is only one venue where employers base. like to do student recruitment,” Cirelli said, “Alumni are constantly contacting us, assuring students that they should not feel saying ‘I want MC students at this comlimited by the career fair. pany, send me some resumes, I will look Manhattan College actively maintains trough them and present the best to my a job and internship database called Jas- boss,’” Cirelli said. perlink that students can access for recent Director of Alumni Relations Thomas job listings by companies looking to hire McCarthy said that the career fairs held students. on campus are a joint effort between the Cirelli said Jasperlink is an “underuti- alumni society and the Center for Career lized resource,” especially when “not every Development. employee has the time, energy, or money “There is a committee of volunteers, to physically send a recruiter here but they who not only are present on the day of to are posting in our database constantly.” help check people in, but also as we lead up Nadia Peters, coordinator of employer to recruiting all the companies to attend,” relations at the Center for Career Develop- McCarthy said. “They [alumni] will literment, said the spring career fair will have ally call the companies” to help the college new companies in attendance. in recruiting them.

These companies include Brandwatch, Alumni are also among the recruiters TKS Solutions, Robert Half, Transystems representing the various companies at the Architect & Engineer, Workbridge Associ- career fair. ates, New Victory Theater, Michael Baker “We have a lot of alumni that represent

Students take advantage of interested companies at last year’s career fair.

Kevin Fuhrmann/The Quadrangle

James O’Connor/The Quadrangle a lot of the companies,” McCarthy said. “In general, alumni like hiring our students. I think they feel it’s a good way for them to

give back.”

Racial Justice Teach-In Held on Campus Natalie Sullivan Senior Staff Writer

Continued from page 1 and more events like this one should occur on campus more often.”

Overall, Witzling hopes that students will feel encouraged to speak out against social injustice without fear of causing unnecessary conflict, but instead a productive discussion.

“What I hope comes out of the discussion is that students feel empowered to talk more about how they feel about racial difference and racism,” Witzling said.

“I think the sense of community at Manhattan and the desire, for the most part, to be kind to one another and form a true community is a great thing,” he said.

“I do think that people are less inclined to talk about problems that they face either on campus or out there in the world, because it might seem like talking about problems dealing with race or racism may seem to be causing a conflict or starting trouble.”

Christian Roodal/The Quadrangle Assistant professor Jawanza Clark, Ph.D., speaks at last week’s racial justice teach-in.

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features

Feb 10, 2015

Meena Alexander Opens the Spring 2015 MARS Season

Kevin Fuhrmann/The Quadrangle

Daniel Molina Staff Writer On a cold winter night students and some faculty begin to arrive to Hayden Hall, anticipating the first MARS reading of the second semester.

The Spring 2015 Major Author Reading Series (MARS) season started this past February 4th in Hayden 100 with the award winning author and scholar Meena Alexander.

After a warm presentation by Dr. Dominika Wrozynski, assistant professor of the English Department, Alexander presented some of the material from her latest book “Birthplace With Buried Stones” (2013).

She described places all around the

world and unique situations that can be seen as extraordinary. Although dark elements and sadness can be seen in some of the lines she read, she came out with a specific idea that illustrated her main point: “We have poetry/So we do not die from history.”

Poems such as Morning Ritual, Question Time were part of the repertoire this experienced author shared with the Manhattan College audience.

Staged from India to America, her poems described everyday actions that, put together, form a global vision of the world.

Metaphysical elements and realism came together in reflection throughout the verses. This reinforced what Wrozynski said in the introduction about the author, quoting Christian Wiman: “Let us remember...that in the end we go to poetry for one reason, so

that we might more fully inhabit our lives and the world in which we live them, and that if we more fully inhabit these things, we might be less apt to destroy both.”

The reading time took around 40 minutes and, right after, a question and answer session began between Alexander and the attendants.

She shared that, although she has a doctorate and teaches writing classes, at the time she sits down with a pencil in her hand, she follows her instincts and does not care about techniques.

She also explained that traveling, for her, is a crucial method of inspiration. Discovering things that are not present in the everyday is what motivates her to share these experiences to the world.

She talked about her experiences between India, Africa, America, England and

how these cultures influenced in her ideas for writing.

As simple as it might sound, a question posed by a “girl in a red sweater” during a lecture inspired Alexander to write the poem Question Time.

Writing is a way of share, express and inspire others to think about an exterior world in which they live in. The MARS season started off with an author that proved that passion, dedication and a something to write about is all that a person needs to become a writer.

features

5

Jasper Chat: Lindsey Pamlanye Leah Cordova Staff Writer

Senior / Ronkonkoma, N.Y. / Double Major in English and Education with a Downward Extension, Religious Studies Minor 1) What did you have for breakfast this morning?

I don’t eat breakfast.

2) What’s on your phone right now?

What I’m reading... Uhm. Ok. So everyday, I read a trashy kindle romance novel from start to finish. Everyday.

3) What’s your take on time management?

I prioritize in order of urgency rather than importance. The downside of that is really important things are sometimes left for the last minute. But by then, they’re finally at the top of my list.

4) What is vitally urgent right now?

Submitting my Lasallian Volunteer application.

5) What would you tell your freshman self right now?

Write more things down.

Emily Whalen and Alana Rios/Courtesy

Editor’s Note: Jasper Chat is a new addition in the Features section.

Find fun interviews with students and members of the MC community, in text and video at mcquad.org.

Leah Cordova/The Quadrangle

Interested in The Quadrangle?

Go to our website: www.mcquad.org

Follow us on Twitter @mcquad Like us on Facebook: The Quadrangle Follow us on Tumblr: ManhattanQuadrangle.tumblr.com Want to join in on the action?

0 PM. Room 412 in the Commons.

Tuesdays. 4:30 Be there.

features

6

Feb 10, 2015

MC’s Most Influential: Matt Clark

Arts & Entertainment

7

The Cure for the Cold:

Spring Fashion

Lindsey Burns Assistant Editor Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a series profiling influential members of the Manhattan College community.

If you were asked to think of some general qualities that would describe a Jasper, you would probably come up with ones that we all should strive to emulate. Intelligence, compassion, friendliness, leadership ability, the list goes on.

Matt Clark exemplifies them all.

A sophomore dual major in business management and computer information systems, Clark is involved in many ways on campus, including Lasallian Collegians, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the L.O.V.E. program, Just Peace and Student Government.

Clark’s passion for helping the community, as well as the rest of the world, has deep roots in the Lasallian tradition, as he also attended a Lasallian high school prior to coming to Manhattan College.

“I went to a Lasallian high school.

They made us do a lot of service, we had a minimum service requirement and I ended up leading a couple clubs there and it ended up carrying over to college,” Clark said. “I was the president of our Lasallian youth group, so very similar to Lasallian Collegians.”

Clark got himself involved in as many service-based clubs and organizations as possible here at MC, and has moved up to many leadership positions just as a sophomore.

He currently leads the Food Security committee for CRS and is a first year ambassador as well.

“I work with Matt in the CRS campus ambassadors program where he is a first year ambassador and was recently selected to serve as the liaison for the upcoming year,” Kelly Douglas, a senior business management major, said. “There is the regular level of ambassadors and then there are the liaisons who micromanage a small group, so he really stood out as a leader.”

On top of his work with CRS on campus, Clark is highly involved with the Lasallian Outreach Volunteer Experience (L.O.V.E.) program.

As a freshman last summer, he travelled to Camp Reynal in Texas with the school to act as a counselor for children with kidney disease. This summer, Clark is returning to Camp Reynal and is leading the L.O.V.E. group this time.

“It was life changing,” Clark said in regards to the trip. “We go to a camp and we serve as counselors to kids who have had or currently have some kind of kidney failure. Some are on medication, some are on dialysis, it depends on their situation if they’ve had a transplant or not.”

Hailing from Staten Island, NY, Clark

stood out in high school as well. His current roommate, Robert Durante, knows him well, as they both attended the same school, St. Peter’s Boys High School.

“Matt has always been a nice, outgoing person who liked to be involved in school.

Since high school he has been running clubs, he played sports in high school, now in college he is actually really involved in so many different clubs,” Durante, a sophomore economics major, said. “He likes to be someone who is always helping out and doing something.”

Clark’s character and personality traits draw people to him. He exudes compassion and genuinely enjoys helping others.

“Matt really has a thing for helping people. I think that has always been his greatest attribute,” Durante said.

Perhaps one of the most impressive things about Clark is his ability to multitask, as he is involved in so many different areas on campus.

“The thing that impresses me the most about Matt is how many different things he is able to handle at once because he has so many different jobs. He is working and he works so many different clubs and he is still doing really well in all of his classes,” Durante said. “Just being able to handle all of that pressure and responsibility on campus has just always impressed me about him.”

Clark is also involved in Student Government and is on the Student Court.

Matt Clark/Courtesy “At Student Court we handle cases of appeals, mostly parking tickets that students bring to our attention. So we decide whether they pay or get a reduction,” he said.

While he is involved in all of these things on campus, he is still able to maintain a social life and is a friend to many.

“Matt is hysterical! His sense of humor is very unique. It’s dry, it’s witty, it’s quick and he will always have you on your toes,” Douglas said. “He is very sarcastic, but he is still extremely caring and compassionate and he would do anything for anyone.”

Clark’s friends suggested that he is dedicated to everything he commits himself to on campus, and this reliability that he exhibits makes people like him and trust him even more.

“He is extremely hardworking and he is good for his word,” Douglas said. “If he says he is going to be there, you know he is going to be there and that is something I have really grown to appreciate in Matt.”

“I believe whole-heartedly that Matt will do great things during his time here at Manhattan College,” Douglas said.

“He really truly exemplifies what it means to be a Jasper,” she said.

“He is involved in many different aspects on campus. He is dedicated to his studies but also to his family and friends and the MC community as a whole.”

Abi Kloosterman/The Quadrangle

Abi Kloosterman Staff Writer The fashion new year has begun. Fall shows have emerged from the fashion famine, the time between October and November, like Katy Perry on her fabulously ostentatious lion at the super bowl. Spring and Summer 2015 is finally upon us. The looks from the September runway are finally making their appearance on the streets while we begin to watch the new emerging couture of the next few months.

Back in September, when football was just beginning and Gisele Bundchen was still wearing handmade Chanel instead of a New England Patriots beanie, New York Fashion Week allowed us to get a glimpse

into the future. What exactly would we be wearing six months from Fashion Week?

After Seeing the Son Jung Wan show at Lincoln Center, predictions can be made that pastels and earth tones will be filling our plain dorm room dresser drawers. Dark blue, green, magenta, gold and cream dyed fabric seem to be the frontrunners while intricately hand sewn details took form in effortlessly worn dresses and jumpers.

As for 3.1 Phillip Lim, the designer took a similar approach. Fresh faced models sported dresses and loose fitting jumpers with beautifully placed sheer fabric or cutouts to expose just the right amount of skin. The color scheme ended in dark blue or teal with a stark contrast to the beginning which included gold trimmed cream shirts and skirts.

It is fair to say that the upcoming spring season will allow for organic neutrals with a pop of earthy tones such as green and blue. Colors however are not the only ones who get to have all the spotlight. What about the patterns? Floral, stripes and gingham patterns are breaking all the rules. Go on, be rebellious.

In all actuality, Son Jung Wan and Phillip Lim are not within the price range of a college student, unless online consignment shopping is your thing. However, keeping in mind that upcoming spring and fall trends can also be found at stores such as H&M, Zara & Other Stories and Haute Look for less than the high fashion labels.

While we get a little too excited over the beauty of a suede Gucci trench coat, take a moment to gather yourself then visit

H&M’s website. Runway look-a-likes will fill your shopping bag all for under $100 but never ceasing to envelop the season’s best trends.

Do not fret over the high prices of the runway. Instead, be inspired, be courageous with your choices and use all of your resources. Never forget about the blessing of the thrift store and all the diamonds you may find through the rough and tough hour of searching. The walk from the quad to Leo is a runway, so dress like it.

We may not all be Gisele strutting down the runway in Chanel or marrying an MVP quarterback, but we are individuals with unique style and presence. It may be 12 degrees outside but your closet can bloom at any moment.

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arts & entertainment

Feb 10, 2015

New Workout Classes Make Debut On Campus

Kelly Burns Editor

New Year’s resolutions to exercise more just got a whole lot easier to stick with thanks to the new group exercise classes being taught on campus this semester.

These workout classes are completely free and taught by current students. New this semester is High Intensity Interval Training, Butts and Guts, and Bootcamp.

Each of these four classes are taught on a weekly basis for one hour in Alumni Hall, Room 202.

The Butts and Guts class meets on Wednesdays from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and focuses on tightening the lower body and core. The instructor, Devin Prant, just started teaching the class this semester and is excited to have this opportunity to share her love for fitness with her classmates.

“I’m an exercise science major so I’ve always been interested in fitness,” Prant said. “It’s a huge part of my life. When the opportunity came to teach a class I was so excited because I want to spread how I feel about fitness with everyone on the campus.”

So far the classes have had a good turnout with many students returning each week along with new faces, all eager to keep fit. By the end of the semester, Prant hopes that students see a change in their overall body structure and especially the way they feel.

Lauren Dougherty, a sophomore exercise science major, has been to every Butts and Guts class and speaks very highly of the workout.

“It’s a great class. Devin does a great job at motivating everyone and keeping everyone involved. She does a variety of ex-

Vanessa Sanchez/The Quadrangle ercises and doesn’t repeat the same thing.

I’m coming back every week,” Dougherty said.

The Bootcamp class, taught by Rogelio Torres, is also new this semester and has had a positive turnout as well.

“With my major focusing on human movement and performance, I've been addicted to exercise and its benefits for the past few years,” Torres said. “When I became aware of the opportunity to teach a group exercise class I immediately jumped on it as I thoroughly enjoy teaching others

and being able to pass on what I've learned about exercise.”

This high intensity class meets on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is described as a no-nonsense workout.

“My plan for each day is to have them warm-up and get limber to avoid any injury; what comes next is a workout (different from the week prior) that blends strength and endurance as well as some surprise movements calling for them to bring out their inner animals,” Torres said.

The third new class being offered this

semester is High Intensity Interval Training. The workout consists of short intense periods of anaerobic exercises with short periods of recovery. It is designed to be very challenging and guarantees quick results. This fat burning class meets on Wednesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

These classes offer great new ways for any Jasper to go out and get in shape for the upcoming summer months. Be sure to check out these new classes to get in shape for bikini season.

arts & entertainment

9

Cubism on Display at The Met Sean Sonnemann Editor-in-Chief

When visiting the Upper East Side’s cavernous Metropolitan Museum of Art, it is often daunting to choose where to start.

Museum mainstays such as the diverse collections of Egyptian artifacts and Impressionist-era paintings are all worth the trip.

However, a temporary and soon-tobe-ending exhibit on the Cubist period of modern art should immediately move to the top of your list of destinations.

Made possible by a historic gift to the museum, “Cubism: The Leonard A. Lauder Collection” is shown throughout seven separate galleries at the Met.

The exhibit highlights the work of four European artists who were at the forefront of the Cubist movement: Georges Braque.

Juan Gris, Fernand Léger and, of course, Pablo Picasso--easily the most well-known of the bunch.

While all of the artists were contemporaries of each other in Paris during the Cubist period, Braque and Picasso actually spent several years working side by side, often sharing studio space.

This fact is clearly evident in the art produced by the two men.

In one gallery, museum curators placed two of their paintings next to each other, both depicting musical instruments amongst standard still-life material such as glassware and fruit.

At first glance, it is easy to write off the two paintings as similar copies of each other.

However, upon closer examination once can point out small but distinct differences between the works.

It is this need to look closely, to scrutinize and to examine that truly characterizes the Cubist movement.

The subject matter is visible, but only slightly recognizable.

Form and shape are splintered, with bits and pieces of the subject scattered and mixed up.

A portrait of a woman may have an ear on one side of the canvas and the other placed directly below it--or sometimes not even present at all.

Yet still, we know ultimately that it is a portrait of a woman, just different from the conventionally accurate portrayal.

While paintings such as these are common throughout the exhibit, the artists also experimented with other mediums such as collage and sculpture.

With these pieces, one can see how the Cubist movement was thoroughly modern, helping to usher in the trend of using found materials (in the Cubists case, newspaper, wallpaper and even a spoon used for drinking absinthe) and pushing the boundaries of what exactly defines art.

Another interesting feature of the exhibit is a few paintings where the back of the frame and canvas is also visible to museum-goers.

This view offers a fascinating look at the history of the paintings themselves, with stickers and labels of various dealers and owners visible along the wooden frames.

Like the subject matter of the paintings on the front side of the same canvases, once again a new and unique perspective is offered.

Masterfully curated and displayed throughout the galleries, the collection as a whole is interesting to see both on an artistic and historic level.

It is not an exhibit meant to be quickly passed through and skimmed. Instead, one should take the time to stop at each and every painting.

Unfortunately, the exhibit will be closing after Feb. 16, so you should at least rush to see the collection while it is still on display.

The textures and colors present are hard to replicate through a computer screen or print, something essentially true for any work of art, but especially for this worthwhile collection.

Sean Sonnemann/The Quadrangle Visiting the Met during the late night Saturday hours offers a chance to skip the crowds

Student Band Potpourri Performs at An Beal Bocht Cafe The student band Potpourri released its first EP, titled “Open House,” with a performance last Thursday night at An Beal Bocht Cafe. Check back in The Quadrangle soon for a full feature on the music and the members of the band.

Sean Sonnemann/The Quadrangle Lead singer Vincent Harris and bassist Peter Morrison are just two of the five students from Manhattan College and Fordham University that make up Potpourri.

sports

10

Feb 10, 2015

Elena Bowman Named Preseason Player of the Year Tara Marin Staff Writer

In Elena Bowman’s three years at Manhattan College, she has become one of the most valuable players on the softball team.

Recently her list of accomplishments grew as she was named MAAC Preseason Player of the Year.

She was the starting catcher for 52 out of 55 games last season. In 2013, she led the team with 13 home runs - breaking the second highest program record of 12 - which coincidentally she had set in 2012.

“She makes our pitchers better by the way she runs the game,” Jaspers head coach Tom Pardalis said. “It’s like having another coach. She has a great softball IQ and commands leadership.”

She’s been playing softball since she was eight years old and plans to become a coach after college, including fulfilling her dream of opening her own batting cage.

For right now, she's enjoying a handful of successes.

Senior captain Amanda Paxon said Bowman’s loud and outgoing personality translates into her success on the field.

“She’s constantly working hard at making herself better,” Paxon said, “and making others better too."

In Bowman’s eyes, this recognition is

an honor and also motivation to keep excelling.

“It’s so exciting, and definitely a great pat on the back,” she said. “But I know I can still improve and that we have a long road ahead this season.”

Last season, the Jaspers made it to the championship after winning four playoff games in two days. That tournament is Bowman’s proudest memory of the past three years, since the team showed so much heart.

Aside from the recognition and successes, her greatest motivation comes from the people around her.

“I’ve learned how to work hard from my coach and my teammates because we stay together. We believe in each other,” Bowman said. “We always say ‘18 strong’ because there’s 18 of us and every single player has a purpose.”

In the 2015 preseason poll, the Jaspers were predicted to come in fourth place, which is the highest they’ve ever gotten.

Bowman said it definitely shows the level of respect they’ve earned over the years, but there’s still plenty of room to step up their game.

Win or lose she’ll be happy as long as they give it their best effort.

“At the end of the day, it doesn't matter where we were placed,” Bowman said.

“It’s about how much we tried.”

Vanessa Sanchez/The Quadrangle

Sports Highlights Jaclyn Marr Assistant Editor

Basketball On Feb. 1, the men’s basketball team earned an 87-76 victory over Monmouth.

Emmy Andujar had a game-high 27 points and Manhattan swept the season series from Monmouth.

The Jaspers competed again on Friday night finishing with a 78-69 win over Canisius. Manhattan had a 21-3 run in the second half to secure the victory.

On Thursday Feb. 5, the women’s basketball team played Iona in a defensive battle but came up short with a 60-41 loss.

Ashley Stec, Shayna Ericksen and Nyasha Irizarry combined for 29 of the Jaspers’ 41 points.

Swimming

The women’s swimming team lost a close match to St. Francis Brooklyn on Tuesday night. Kerry Schuermann, Madison Brown, Sara Buckley and Alexandra Hutzler swam in the 200-medley relay team earning a first-place finish. The final was 107-96, and the team stands at 6-8 going into next week’s MAAC Championships.

Track and Field The men and women’s track and field teams competed in the Metropolitan Indoor Championships on Feb. 5 finishing in second-place. The women’s team competed again on Feb. 6 and earned a fifthplace finish.

Kevin Fuhrmann/The Quadrangle Jacqui Thompson dribbles down the court in the Jaspers’ loss against Saint Peters.

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11

Between the Base Paths: A Lefty Arm with Pop

Jonathan Reyes Editor

It’s no secret that the Manhattan Jaspers have been in a rebuild mode over the past two seasons. The time has come once again for them to be a MAAC championship contender since their 2011 and 2012 back-to-back title wins.

Why now all of a sudden? Good, talented pitching…lots of it too.

Last year, Joey Rocchietti was the Jasper who stood out on and off the field. It took two months into the season to figure out how good Rocchietti was going to be. Already in the late off-season of 2015 someone has impressed: Tom Cosgrove another pitcher, but this is where Manhattan’s future lies.

In the 2014 college baseball draft class, Cosgrove was Manhattan’s top recruit based on his physical ability, electric fastball and competitiveness, but there’s something else he possesses that makes him special at 18 years old.

“When you get to meet him that’s when he really became our top recruit,” Manhattan head coach Jim Duffy said. “He’s mature beyond his years, especially on the field. I don’t think I’ve ever had to tell him, since we’ve stepped on the field together, to pick it up or to do more. If anything the biggest challenge as a coach with guys like Tommy [Cosgrove] is sometimes you have to ask them to face themselves, to dial it back a little because he works so hard and does so much physically between his throwing days.”

“I’m more impressed with those intangible things then I am his actual physical pitching,” he added. “I say that as a compliment because he certainly is a hell of a

pitcher and he’s going to get better.”

Duffy also said his make-up, drive, determination and work ethic is what’s going to help him go forward and separate himself from the average pitcher in the league because that’s what got him this opportunity.

At Monsignor Farrell High School, he dominated opposing batters with primarily his fastball that his head coach at Farrell, Bob Mulligan, said he threw 75-80 percent of the time, clocking in at 90 mph Cosgrove said.

Cosgrove experienced how he must adjust as a pitcher when he logged in twoinnings of work during an outside competition game against the Columbia Lions – which won the Ivy League Championship the last two years. He had a two-strike count on a batter and threw his fastball. In high school he would have gotten away with such a pitch selection, but when up against Division I hitters not so much. His pitch was hit right back at him and through his legs for a base hit.

When he headed off the field afterwards, Duffy prepared to use this situation as a teaching moment and tell Cosgrove, “You know what? See there you can’t just

go to your fastball.” Cosgrove instead came over to Duffy in the dugout and told him, “There it was coach. I thought I could just reach back.”

“We saw last year, as a senior, that generally speaking he had his good stuff and occasionally he had lights out stuff,” Mulligan said. “There was one game he struck out 13-15 batters in a row. It was mindboggling. We had never seen that before.

Total domination. Really that was just with a very good fastball.”

“He certainly is a fierce competitor.

One of the finest competitors we’ve seen at our school,” he added. “Almost to a fault.

Sometimes he’s very hard on himself, and through a little more maturity he’ll overcome that. But when he’s on the mound he brings great focus, competitiveness.”

Learning from situations, as in his short appearance against Columbia, was a main reason why he decided on becoming a Jasper. He loves how much Duffy and former Jasper pitching coach Elvys Quezada and new pitching coach Justin Echevarria know about pitching. They create an atmosphere he compared to his high school.

“Manhattan had a different feel than all the other schools that I was looking into,”

Cosgrove said. “It was more of a homey feel, I guess, so it reminded me of my high school.”

Right now, it’s too early to tell whether Cosgrove turns into a starting or relief pitcher, but Duffy and Mulligan predict he can make a major impact in the long run.

In his first year, with the type of fastball he possesses, coming out of the bullpen may be the best and most effective role for him.

Once he builds up his stamina, he projects to be a really good starter.

“For him, I hope he doesn’t get too caught up in with the whole starting versus relieving,” Mulligan said, “because for the most part he has been a starter his whole career. He would most likely prefer to do that. His main objective would be he just wants to pitch. Given the opportunity to pitch whether it’s middle, short-relief, starter. He should welcome that and do the very best he can.”

“The sky is the limit for him. He really has a great deal of ability,” he added. “He’s the complete package.”

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Inside the Numbers:

12

Takeaways From Jaspers’ Two-Game Split

Kevin Fuhrmann/The Quadrangle

Daniel Ynfante Assistant Editor

2

Manhattan missed a golden chance to move into sole possession of second place by splitting its two games, and there is no other way to put it.

After beating Canisius on Friday, the Jaspers headed into Sunday’s tilt against Rider needing a win to break a tie with Rider and sit in second place all by themselves.

But things did not go as planned and Manhattan was defeated by Rider, meaning the Jaspers now trail the Broncs by one game. Even worse, the Jaspers technically sit one game back by losing the season series 2-0 to Rider. The Broncs now hold the tiebreaker, which means they really lead Manhattan by two games.

42

Throughout Manhattan’s early season struggles on offense, the team still had one thing to fall back on: its defense.

Despite its 2-7 start to the season, the Jaspers were still within striking distance in most of those games because of their defense. During that stretch only twice did the Jaspers allow their opponents to score over 70 points.

Then, the Jaspers turned their season around and reached the .500 mark at 8-8.

However, what followed was a strange five-game stretch. The team went 3-2 and went on a tear offensively, but struggled on defense, allowing opponents to score 74.8

points per game.

But now the Jaspers have reached a middle ground and have found the right balance between offense and defense. The Jaspers held Canisius and Rider to a combined 42 percent from the field.

Canisius shot a woeful 31 percent against the Jaspers on Friday and had it not been for a blistering 11-13 start from the field by Rider, the Jaspers would have held the Broncs to 43 percent. Instead, the Broncs shot 53 percent.

But as head coach Steve Masiello pointed out after the win against Canisius, all he can ask for is that the opponents are being forced to take tough shots. Canisius took tough shots and missed. Rider took tough shots and made them. That is basketball.

“I’m fine with a lot of shots that go in,” Masiello said after the win against Canisius. “When we watch film at half time and I see 17-footers challenged going in. The reality of it was that our defense in the first half was the exact same the first six minutes of the second half.”

“The difference was, statistically, which I’ve studied for 17 years, I know those shots aren’t going to beat you,” he added. “So when it goes in we’re ok with it. We say ‘challenged 17-footer, we’ll live with it’ and we move on from it.”

16.9

A key component to Manhattan’s defense has been the turnovers it has created.

If the season ended today, the Jaspers would eclipse the 15.6 opponent turnovers per game—good for eighth in the nation— that last season’s team caused. The 2014-

2015 Jaspers rank fourth in the nation forcing their opponents to 16.9 turnovers per game.

Turnovers have always played a part in Masiello’s defenses, but it seems that this season it has been more apparent than ever.

During games, the Jaspers have switched in and out of various zone defenses and a man-to-man defense, causing much confusion in their opponents.

Even in a loss against Rider, Manhattan forced 12 turnovers. And after the game Rider head coach Kevin Baggett had nothing but praise for Manhattan’s defense.

“That zone is tough to kind of break and figure out and their pressure,” Baggett said.

Baggett alluded to what is still Manhattan’s number one source of turnovers: the patented Jasper full-court press.

In the game against Canisius, several times Manhattan forced Jan Grzelinski to take the ball up the court. A Manhattan guard would take away his drive towards the right side, forcing him left and once he began to dribble with his left, a Manhattan player would step up and double-team him.

This sequence was repeated numerous times and resulted in several turnovers.

When it did not result in a turnover, it at least did enough to create chaos and break up Canisius’ attacks.

Of course, against better ball handlers and decision makers the press will not always work. But as long as the Jaspers can continue to turnover opponents in the double digits only good things can come from that.

13-3

The split pushes Manhattan’s record to 13-3 in February and March since last season.

This column has mentioned it numerous times and it will continue to do so. So here it goes once again: Masiello has stated all season long that what matters is how the team is playing in February and March.

Despite the loss to Rider, Masiello has much to be excited about as the Jaspers have won four of the last five heading into what is perhaps the biggest game of the season on Friday night at home against their bitter rivals the Iona Gaels.

The team sits three games behind Iona for first place and if it has any aspirations of being the one seed at the MAAC Tournament, a win against the Gaels is a good place to start.

The Jaspers will still have five games left in their schedule after facing the Gaels, but three of those are on the road, including a game at Iona. Maintaining a winning record over the final few games of the season is of utter importance for the Jaspers, who by dropping a game or two can fall in the standings.

The MAAC is really close this season and seeding might not be as crucial as people like to make it out to be. But the fact remains that if a team has a chance to be the number one seed heading into a tournament, they do all they can to finish in first place. That is no different for the Jaspers.